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France beats South Korea 4-0 in Womens' Football World Cup opener

Ecstatic Eugénie Le Sommer after her goal, the first of four for France in the Womens' Football World Cup, Parc Des Princes, Paris, 7 June 2019.FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT / AFP

Ten million TV viewers watched host nation France thrash South Korea on Friday night. 45,000 more at the Parc des Princes stadium in the west of Paris watched France put four goals past their rivals' keeper.

Captain Amandine Henry scored the fourth and final goal in the late second half, after two from Wendie Renard and one from Eugénie Le Sommer in the first half.

Although in the first half of the match, after Le Sommer's early start, play was slow, the French President Emmanuel Macron and FIFA head Gianni Infantino stayed till the end.

Popularity boom

Friday's opener marked the first time that TV viewers were able to watch on one of the mainstream channels for free. Private channel TF1 will be showing all the French matches and part-subscription channel Canal+ will show all matches.

Infantino has said that this tournament will see the following for womens' football rocket.

More to do

"Les Bleues", the Blues as the French international football teams are known, are among the favourites to win the trophy this year, but current title holders, USA, will be making a bid to retain their status. Germany is considered a team to watch also.

French coach Corinne Diacre was cautious after her team's win against South Korea. "We have to keep at it. We have six more matches to go."